Protocol for a systematic review of research on HPV and cervical cancer in Ghana, up until the year 2017: informing research and policy direction on cervical cancer prevention in Ghana

IntroductionFor a country that lacks a national cervical cancer screening/prevention programme, there is the need to assess the volume of country-specific information, and the status of research on HPV and cervical cancer, in order to provide evidence that will inform policy and further research. The aim of this protocol is to plan an intended systematic review, which is to identify research gaps, prevent unnecessary duplication of work and enable collaboration.Methods and analysisThis protocol, developed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols statement and registered by PROSPERO (CRD42017075583), will apply a 13-point eligibility criteria to screening and selecting peer-reviewed research articles and grey literature. These will be obtained from searches in databases, including, among others, those of the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar and the digital collections database of research publications of Universities in Ghana. Collected data will be aggregated and summarised according to emerging themes and simple descriptive statistics.Ethics and disseminationThe study will use publicly available data and will not identify authors of the publication by name. In light of these and as has been indicted, research ethics clearance is not required for evidence syntheses in such reviews. The review will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at local and internal conferences as the opportunity becomes available.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017075583.

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Platelet-Rich Fibrin in third molar surgery. Systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

10.1101/2020.05.17.20099549 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gaston Salas ◽

Shuheng Lai ◽

Francisca Verdugo-Paiva ◽

Roberto Requena

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Wound Healing ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Third Molar ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Third Molar Surgery ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Platelet Rich Fibrin

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of platelet rich fibrin (PRF) in third molar surgery. Data sources: A comprehensive search strategy is meant to be used in an attempt to identify all relevant RCTs, ongoing investigation reported in specialty congresses and trials regardless of language or publication status (published, unpublished, in press, and in progress). Search will be conducted in The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PUBMED; Embase; Lilacs, and also conduct a search through trial registries of the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), Word Health Organization (WHO) and the ClinicalTrials.gov, US National Institutes of Health (NIH), grey literature search and specialty congress will be reviewed. Eligibility criteria: We will include randomised trials evaluating the effect of PRF on wound healing after third molar surgery. Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, extract data, and assess the risk of bias using Cochrane 'risk of bias' tool. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome. Ethics and dissemination: As researchers will not access information that could lead to the identification of an individual participant, obtaining ethical approval was waived. Keywords: platelet-rich fibrin; third molars; wound healing; systematic review

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Mesenchymal stromal cells for COVID-19: A living systematic review protocol

10.1101/2020.04.13.20064162 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gabriel Rada ◽

Javiera Corbalán ◽

Patricio Rojas ◽

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ◽

Stromal Cells ◽

Direct Evidence ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Randomised Trials ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo determine the impact of mesenchymal stromal cells outcomes important to patients with COVID-19.DesignThis is the protocol of a living systematic review.Data sourcesWe will conduct searches in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), grey literature and in a centralised repository in L·OVE (Living OVerview of Evidence). L·OVE is a platform that maps PICO questions to evidence from Epistemonikos database. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, L·OVE was adapted to expand the range of evidence it covers and customised to group all COVID-19 evidence in one place. The search will cover the period until the day before submission to a journal.Eligibility criteria for selecting studies and methodsWe adapted an already published common protocol for multiple parallel systematic reviews to the specificities of this question.We will include randomised trials evaluating the effect of mesenchymal stromal cells versus placebo or no treatment in patients with COVID-19. Randomised trials evaluating other coronavirus infections, such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and non-randomised studies in COVID-19 will be searched in case we find no direct evidence from randomised trials, or if the direct evidence provides low- or very low-certainty for critical outcomes.Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, extract data, and assess the risk of bias. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.A living, web-based version of this review will be openly available during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resubmit it every time the conclusions change or whenever there are substantial updates.Ethics and disseminationNo ethics approval is considered necessary. The results of this review will be widely disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, social networks and traditional media.PROSPERO RegistrationSubmitted to PROSPERO (awaiting ID allocation).

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Low level of knowledge about cervical cancer among Ethiopian women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Infectious Agents and Cancer ◽

10.1186/s13027-021-00350-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Awoke Derbie ◽

Daniel Mekonnen ◽

Eyaya Misgan ◽

Yihun Mulugeta Alemu ◽

Yimtubezinash Woldeamanuel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Cervical Cancer Prevention ◽

The Public ◽

Screening Practice ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Comprehensive Search ◽

Level Of Knowledge

Abstract Introduction Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of malignancies among women in Ethiopia. Knowing the disease could empower women to make an informed decision regarding participation with cervical cancer prevention strategies. There is scarcity of compiled data in the field. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to provide an overview of knowledge about cervical cancer among Ethiopian women. Methods We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles on the knowledge of cervical cancer. Articles were systematically searched using comprehensive search strings from PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, and grey literature from Google Scholar. Two reviewers assessed study eligibility, extracted data, and the risk of bias independently. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA v 14 to pool the overall knowledge of the women about cervical cancer. Results We included 26 articles published between 2013 and 2020 covering a total of 14,549 participants. All the included articles had good methodological quality. The proportion of participants who had heard of cervical cancer varied from 4.6 to 87.7% with the pooled estimate at 56% (95% CI: 47–66). Similarly, the proportion of participants who knew that HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer lied between 0 and 49.7% with the pooled result at 21% (95% CI: 13–30). Likewise, the pooled prevalence to identify at least one risk factor, one symptom of cervical cancer and ever heard of cervical cancer screening was gauged at 52% (95% CI: 39–64), 43% (95% CI: 26–60), and 39% (95% CI: 24–55), respectively. The overall pooled prevalence of good knowledge about cervical cancer was at 43% (95% CI: 33–53). On top of this, the prevalence of previous screening practice among the participants was at 14% (95% CI: 9–20). Conclusions Knowledge about cervical cancer among Ethiopian women is quite poor. Therefore, health education to provide sufficient and unbiased information about HPV and cervical cancer in general is required to the public.

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Platelet-Rich Fibrin in Third Molar Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction ◽

10.1177/19433875211016203 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 194338752110162

Author(s):

Gaston A. Salas ◽

Shuheng A. Lai ◽

Francisca Verdugo-Paiva ◽

Roberto A. Requena

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Third Molar ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Third Molar Surgery ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Platelet Rich Fibrin

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in third molar surgery. Data Sources: A comprehensive search strategy is meant to be used in an attempt to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs), ongoing investigation reported in specialty congresses and trials regardless of language or publication status (published, unpublished, in press and in progress). Searches will be conducted in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PUBMED, Embase, Lilacs, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), ClinicalTrials.gov , US National Institutes of Health (NIH), grey literature and in specialized congresses and conferences. Eligibility Criteria: We will include randomized trials evaluating the effect of PRF on wound healing after third molar surgery. Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, data extraction and risk of bias assessment using Cochrane “risk of bias” tool. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome. Ethics and Dissemination: As researchers will not access information that could lead to the identification of an individual participant, obtaining ethical approval was waived.

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Gelatin tannate for acute diarrhoea and gastroenteritis in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Archives of Disease in Childhood ◽

10.1136/archdischild-2018-316385 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. archdischild-2018-316385 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ivan D Florez ◽

Javier M Sierra ◽

Laura F Niño-Serna

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Acute Diarrhoea ◽

Stool Frequency ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Randomised Controlled

ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness and safety of gelatin tannate (GT) for reducing the duration of the acute diarrhoea and gastroenteritis (ADG) in children.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, LILACS and grey literature, published from inception to October 2018. No language restrictions.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesRandomised controlled trials in children with ADG, comparing GT with placebo.ResultsOf 797 titles identified, we included three studies (276 children). We performed a random effects model meta-analysis for the main outcome (diarrhoea duration). We did not find significant differences between GT and placebo for diarrhoea duration (mean difference (MD)=−15.85 hours; 95% CI −42.24 to 14.82, I2=92%; three studies), stool frequency at day 2 (MD=0.11 stools/day; 95% CI −0.39 to 0.62: I2=26%; two studies), diarrhoea at day 3 (risk ratio [RR]=0.46; 95% CI 0.06 to 3.47: I2=73%; two studies), vomiting (RR=1.31; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.80: I2=0%; two studies) or adverse events (RR=0.86; 95% CI 0.27 to 2.66: I2=0%; two studies). Most common adverse events included abdominal pain and nausea.ConclusionThe effect of GT was no different to placebo for mean diarrhoea duration (low certainty on the evidence) and stool frequency at day 2 (high certainty) and for the presence of diarrhoea at day 3 (very low certainty) of vomiting (moderate certainty) and of adverse events (low certainty).PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018087902.

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Accuracy of mRNA HPV Tests for Triage of Precursor Lesions and Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Oncology ◽

10.1155/2019/6935030 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ana Cristina L. Macedo ◽

João Carlos N. Gonçalves ◽

Daniela Vicente Bavaresco ◽

Antonio José Grande ◽

Napoleão Chiaramonte Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Intraepithelial Neoplasia ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Superior Performance ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Synthesis Methods ◽

Eligibility Criteria

Objective. This systematic review evaluates the accuracy of the mRNA HPV biomarker in cervical smears to identify cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or 3 and cervical cancer. Data Source. Eligible studies were identified by performing a search of electronic databases on Medline via Pubmed, Lilacs, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Grey literature for papers published between January 1990 and June 2018. Study Eligibility Criteria. As no randomized studies were identified, this review focuses on observational studies in which the mRNA HPV diagnostic test was compared to a histopathology reference standard. We analyzed studies that included women screened for cervical cancer using mRNA HPV. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods. After screening, 61 studies including 29,674 patients met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Dichotomization was performed by defining CIN2 or worse (CIN2+) versus CIN1, HPV infection, and normal (CIN 1-). The analysis was discriminated by the following tests: Aptima, PreTect HPV Profeer, NucliSens EasyQ HPV, OncoTect, and Quantivirus. Results. Analyzing by technique, Aptima, with 28 studies, exhibited superior performance, showing for the outcomes CIN2+ and CIN3+ an AUC of 0.88 (0.82-0.95) and 0.91 (0.84-0.99), a pooled sensitivity of 92.8% (95%CI 91.9-93.7) and 95.6% (95%CI 94.5-96.5), and a pooled specificity of 60.5% (95%CI 59.8-61.3) and 61.9% (95%CI 61.1-62.7), respectively. Conclusion. This study supports the current hypothesis that the mRNA HPV assay is an adequate tool for secondary cervical cancer screening.

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Vitamin C for the treatment of COVID-19: A living systematic review

10.1101/2020.04.28.20083360 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eduard Baladia ◽

Ana Beatriz Pizarro ◽

Gabriel Rada

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Vitamin C ◽

Direct Evidence ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Randomised Trials ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Web Based ◽

Central Register

ABSTRACTObjectiveThis living systematic review aims to provide a timely, rigorous and continuously updated summary of the evidence available on the role of vitamin C in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.Data sourcesWe will conduct searches in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), grey literature and in a centralised repository in L·OVE (Living OVerview of Evidence). L·OVE is a platform that maps PICO questions to evidence from Epistemonikos database. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, L·OVE was adapted to expand the range of evidence it covers and customised to group all COVID-19 evidence in one place. The search will cover the period until the day before submission to a journal.Eligibility criteria for selecting studies and methodsWe adapted an already published common protocol for multiple parallel systematic reviews to the specificities of this question.We will include randomised trials evaluating the effect of vitamin C, as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs, versus placebo or no treatment in patients with COVID-19. Randomised trials evaluating vitamin C in infections caused by other coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and non-randomised studies in COVID-19 will be searched in case no direct evidence from randomised trials is found, or if the direct evidence provides low- or very low-certainty for critical outcomes.Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, extract data, and assess the risk of bias. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.A living, web-based version of this review will be openly available during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will resubmit it every time the conclusions change or whenever there are substantial updates.Ethics and disseminationNo ethics approval is considered necessary. The results of this review will be widely disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, social networks and traditional media.PROSPERO RegistrationSubmitted to PROSPERO (awaiting ID allocation).

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Hyaluronic acid for tissue and bone regeneration after tooth extraction. Systematic review and meta-analysis

10.1101/2020.06.02.20120733 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shuheng Lai ◽

Francisco Novillo ◽

Geovanna Cárdenas ◽

Francisca Verdugo ◽

Gabriel Rada

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Hyaluronic Acid ◽

Bone Regeneration ◽

Tooth Extraction ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Eligibility Criteria

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of Hyaluronic Acid (HA) on tissue and bone regeneration after tooth extraction.Data SourcesWe will conduct a comprehensive search in Epistemonikos, PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), LILACS, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), ClinicalTrials.gov, US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and grey literature, to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials regardless of language or publication status (published, unpublished, in press and in progress).Eligibility Criteria for Selecting Studies and MethodsWe will include randomized trials evaluating the effect of HA on tissue and bone regeneration after tooth extraction. Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, data extraction, and assess the risk of bias. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.Ethics and DisseminationNo ethics approval is considered necessary. The results of this review will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, social networks, and traditional media.PROSPERO Registration IDCRD42020150285

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Oxymetazoline for the treatment of rosacea-associated persistent facial erythema. Systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

10.1101/2020.05.25.20111344 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Geovanna Cárdenas ◽

Francisco Novillo ◽

Shuheng Lai ◽

Héctor Fuenzalida ◽

Francisca Verdugo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Facial Erythema ◽

Central Register ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review is to assess the impact of oxymetazoline in patients with moderate to severe rosacea.Data SourcesWe will conduct a comprehensive search in PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Lilacs, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), ClinicalTrials.gov, US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and grey literature, to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials regardless of language or publication status (published, unpublished, in press and in progress).Eligibility criteria for selecting studies and methodsWe will include randomized trials evaluating the effect of oxymetazoline in patients with moderate to severe rosacea. Two reviewers will independently screen each study for eligibility, data extraction, and assess the risk of bias. We will pool the results using meta-analysis and will apply the GRADE [1] system to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.Ethics and DisseminationNo ethics approval is considered necessary. The results of this review will be widely disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, social networks and traditional media.Protocol and RegistrationThis protocol was adapted to the specificities of the question assessed in this review and registered to PROSPERO with the ID CRD42020150262.

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Deprescribing fall-risk increasing drugs (FRIDs) for the prevention of falls and fall-related complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035978 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. e035978

Author(s):

Justin Lee ◽

Ahmed Negm ◽

Ryan Peters ◽

Eric K C Wong ◽

Anne Holbrook

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Financial Burden ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesPrevention of falls and fall-related injuries is a priority due to the substantial health and financial burden of falls on patients and healthcare systems. Deprescribing medications known as ‘fall-risk increasing drugs’ (FRIDs) is a common strategy to prevent falls. We conducted a systematic review to determine its efficacy for the prevention of falls and fall-related complications.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL and grey literature from inception to 1 August 2020.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesRandomised controlled trials of FRID withdrawal compared with usual care evaluating the rate of falls, incidence of falls, fall-related injuries, fall-related fractures, fall-related hospitalisations or adverse effects related to the intervention in adults aged ≥65 years.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers independently performed citation screening, data abstraction, risk of bias assessment and certainty of evidence grading. Random-effects models were used for meta-analyses.ResultsFive trials involving 1305 participants met eligibility criteria. Deprescribing FRIDs did not change the rate of falls (rate ratio (RaR) 0.98, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.51), the incidence of falls (risk difference 0.01, 95% CI −0.06 to 0.09; relative risk 1.04, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.26) or rate of fall-related injuries (RaR 0.89, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.39) over a follow-up period of 6–12 months. No trials evaluated the impact of deprescribing FRIDs on fall-related fractures or hospitalisations.ConclusionThere is a paucity of robust high-quality evidence to support or refute that a FRID deprescribing strategy alone is effective at preventing falls or fall-related injury in older adults. Although there may be other reasons to deprescribe FRIDs, our systematic review found that it may result in little to no difference in the rate or risk of falls as a sole falls reduction strategy.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016040203.

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